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sketch has teamed up with Disney’s musical masterpiece Into the Woods, to create a limited edition run of its Afternoon Tea…

Available from Monday 18th May – Sunday 7th June.

The inspired menu has re-created some of the classic afternoon tea elements and given them a fantasy, fairytale makeover – with items fit for any basket to take to grandma’s house.

Included in the re-vamped tea is Little Red Riding Hood’s Choux, Jack’s Beanstalk Tart and a Prince Charming Green ‘Sand-Witch’, all complemented by the Baker and His Wife’s selection of sketch pastries.

In a room refined by a curious mind, a touch of humour… It’s a work of art, a striking backdrop… It’s David Shrigley’s Gallery…

In an effort to cover more than just skincare, I want to share one of my favorite restaurants in London with you all- Duck & Waffle.

Duck & Waffle is located on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower in London and as you may have guessed from its name, they do serve Duck and Waffles! They serve British and European cuisine 24/7 in a modern, 40th-floor space with floor-to-ceiling windows and an open kitchen. The view is one of my favorites in the city, because it gives you a different view of the city than your normal tourist vantage points. Make sure to get your camera out for the elevator ride all the way up to the restaurant. Words cannot describe this breathtaking experience. You have to be there to experience it!

As much as I love London, the food in London is sub par, which is another reason why I love Duck & Waffle. The food is absolutely amazing! I always get the Duck and Waffle, which they have it listed under “Share Plates” or something for some reason, but I have to tell you, it is definitely not a sharable dish! The place is also open 24/7, so for those that are craving some delicious bites after a night of drinking, this is the place to be.

The service is outstanding. I’ve never had a bad experience here and I always bring my friends from the US here and often times it becomes their favorite restaurant during their trip. The crowd is a mixed of locals and tourists, but none of those fanny pack wearing tourists. If you are ever in London, this is a must!

I read they are opening a location in NY…. i hope they open one in Los Angeles in the future!

Sorry it’s been so long since my last post! I’ve been so busy in real life, but i’m back!

I’ve highlighted this product before in the past stating that I liked it, but after testing out the full product for an extended amount of time, I feel the need to retract my previous comment about liking it.

First off, it has the worst packaging– It is a dropper with a top heavy bottle, which means every time you open it, you’re at risk of knocking over the bottle. To make it worst, it has a bulb at the end of the dropper, which makes it even easier to knock the bottle over. Guerlain changed their Abeille Royale serum to a pump because of the same reason, which I’m sure YSL will soon to follow after all the complaints.

The serum itself is so sticky on the face and the applicator dropper is so poorly made that you end up with 50 times more products than you need for your face. I haven’t really noticed a noticeable difference to my skin. It also has a very perfumey scent to it as well.

I am not a big of a fan of the packaging for the entire line. It looks kind of tacky and sticks out like a sore thumb, but not in a good way…. or is it just me?

My take:
I’ve never really paid much attention to cleansers until I experienced EVE LOM’s cleansing balm and that’s when I realized what a difference a cleanser can make to your face. A lot of people have asked me to review products from ReVive, but I’ve never really given it much attention until recently.
I got a few products from ReVive, I will hold off from reviewing the other ones until I’ve used them long enough to write a review. I’ve been using this cleanser for almost a month now on a daily basis. It is a cream cleanser with very soft exfoliating beads. I was so excited the first time using this thinking finally I found an exfoliating cleanser that I can use on a daily basis that won’t dry out my skin, but after a week of using this, my excitement diminished. Honestly, it doesn’t clean the face that well.
When you’re using it on the face, you feel the exfoliating beads on your skin, but for some reason it doesn’t really remove excess oil or dirt off the face. I don’t really think it really exfoliates the face that well either. I switched to my other cleansers for a few days to see if it makes a difference and it did. My skin felt cleaner and absorbed products better once I got off this cleanser. The best way to describe it is that it feels like Fresh’s Soy Cleanser in a creamier texture with soft exfoliating beads. It’s an okay cleanser to use in the morning, but I wouldn’t use it at night or when you’re trying to wash off a dirty face, because it doesn’t clean the face that well.
As for all the line reducing and restoring clarity claims, I saw none of that. I would recommend this for sensitive skin people that are looking for an exfoliating cleanser that won’t irritate the skin. For the rest of us, try it before you buy it!

I get asked this question all the time if it actually matters and I always say yes. Depending on where you live, the water you use to wash your face has minerals in them that can throw off the pH level of your skin and toners help to bring it back to a neural level. pH levels are an indication of the acidity level of your skin and are measured on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7 being the most neutral level. Having a balanced pH level means your skin is less prone to oiliness and infection, creating a more vibrant and smoother appearance.

I have about 4 different toners in my bathroom, but I stick to SKII Facial Treatment Essence and La Mer’s Treatment Lotion as my toners. Some brands call their toners “lotions”, which can make it confusing to some people. One time a sales associates even told me “oh it’s a new type of lotion, it’s just in a liquid form!” …. um no, you’re seriously mistaken.

La Mer’s Treatment Lotion is actually thicker, but not to a point where it can replace a serum. The popularity of SKII’s Facial Treatment Essence sparked a new trend of coming out with a product that blurts the line of a toner and a serum, but it is to be used as a toner. Fresh came out with one under their Black Tea line as well.

Some sales rep will say to use a toner, the treatment lotion/toner, serum, and then your moisturizer. I’ve done that before, but I think the treatment lotion/toner can replace a regular toner completely.

I’ve tried go without a toner/treatment toner/lotion completely for awhile just to see if it makes a difference and my skin definitely took a hit during that time. The toner preps your skin to absorb your products better and have multiple benefits depending on the toner you use (a cucumber one can be refreshing, a royal jelly one can be hydrating..etc).

Bottom line, look for a toner that fits your skin type. They don’t have to be expensive, but do look for one that makes your skin feel nice and supple after you wash your face.

As many of my readers know I’m a fan of Guerlain’s Abeille Royale line. It smells divine and works well as an anti-aging defense.

They have added an 1-month treatment to this ever growing line (still waiting on that body cream!). Abeille Royale 1-Month Youth Treatment is enriched with the Guerlain’s precious Royal Jelly Concentrate that contains nutrients like fatty acids, essential amino acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals. The Royal Jelly Concentrate is contained in a black honeycomb-like packaging in its purest form so that you get the best of its effectiveness. Prior to your first use, pour the pure Royal Jelly Concentrate into the activating cream and mix with the spatula provided.

I am an advocate of Royal Jelly as an anti-aging ingredient and I’ve had decent success with this line so I do believe this is worth a try. It is priced at $250 currently (subject to change). It’s a bit expensive for a cream that you’re only going to use for a month. As much as I love this line of products, I don’t believe I would want to spend my own money on it. With that price, you can almost buy something from La Mer or Natura Bisse, but hey, it’s a great gift for someone to get for you!

I am still crossing my fingers hoping they will release a body cream in this scent!!

From their site: Plucked from the peak of the Swiss Alps, purple saxifrage withstands extreme conditions by shielding its purple petals with tiny ice crystals; soldanella alpine is able to stay dormant under the ice and then surge up to the surface and bloom come spring; and stunning red snow algae can flourish as a blanket of crimson that can only be seen as the ice begins to melt.

According to La Prairie researchers, the unique blend protects skin’s mitochondrial DNA (the energy source of cells) as well as speeds up rejuvenation, boosts inherent hydration and halts collagen degradation. And their internal invitro testing showed never-before-seen anti-aging results for all of the above. It may very well be the first time that February cannot come soon enough.

My take:

Sounds very fancy and promising doesn’t it? La Prairie has been a direct competitor with La Mer (a personal fav) for a very long time. People normally prefer one or the other. I have tried to like La Prairie many times, but I find their products too active for myself, but I highly recommend their White Caviar line, it’s one of the best brightening lines on the market.

ok so for the products, I have been using both the oil and the cream on a daily basis for about 2 weeks and I haven’t noticed anything different. The smell, as many have mentioned, is tiring and old. I wish they could at least make their products smell nicer or just “younger”. I really wanted to like this duo, because of the “story” behind their marketing campaign, but honestly, I just didn’t see anything different.

The dry oil is a true dry oil texture. It sinks into your skin very quickly and doesn’t leave an oily film. You can actually mix this oil into your cream for a luxurious night cream, or just use it on its own as a your “serum step”. The cream has a “paste” like texture, it’s very thick, but not in a creamy way. It has the same dull scent as the dry oil. I find the cream more disappointing than the oil, because it is not that moisturizing. My skin sucks this up overnight and feels dehydrated in the morning. I ended up applying to a sleeping mask over the cream so my face doesn’t dry up overnight.

They are $300 each. For $600+, it’s pretty steep for two products. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it, but that’s just me. I would rather spend the money on theirwhite caviar line, even though that’s more expensive, but at least I see noticeable results.

The bottom line- Fancy marketing campaign, but the products fell short. I would highly suggest you getting samples first before buying them.

For those of you that have been following my blog since the beginning, you know I’m a huge fan of Givenchy’s Le Soin Noir Collection and it’s been such a struggle securing these products in the US, I even went to London once to get some of the items!

It is so exciting to know that Barneys is now carrying the entire Le Soin Noir line and also the entire skincare line from Givenchy!!! The full line includes-